The illustrious village Vík in Southern Iceland was our home for three nights, and it’s proven to be great home base to start trips to explore more of the region. One of these trips took us to Fjaðrárgljúfur, a beautiful canyon, made famous by – besides Instagrammers – Justin Bieber. Unfortunately, the tourist run the canyon faced has led the Icelandic administration to shut down the area for now, allowing the flora to recover. Therefore we weren’t able to explore the canyon entering it, but still got a great look from a nearby bridge.
Vík itself is also not short on impressive sights, featuring a beautiful little church overlooking the heart of the village, as well as the cliffs of Dyrhólaey. The latter one comes with one of the famous black beaches on Iceland, and endless sights from one of the viewpoints on top.
And as well-known, Iceland certainly doesn’t suffer from a shortage of waterfalls. Vík is also a great place to start trips to two of the most famous ones, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. Both are amazing sights, the latter one even allowing to step behind the falling water, enabling some intriguing shots. But make no mistake, taking pictures in these surroundings is no piece of cake: Especially for Seljalandsfoss with its drizzle, waterproof gear and clothes are highly recommended. Since sunset happens very late in the Icelandic summer, one evening I took a trip at around 10 pm visiting both waterfalls and trying to get some scenic light shots.
Skógafoss even features a viewing platform on top, allowing to take a look at the water approaching the drop. Of course, if you own a drone, you can get some nice shots from above all the waterfalls, but I was happy and busy enough just capturing these icons as they appear to the regular visitor. In general, if possible, I would always advise to at least re-visit some sights in early morning or late evening, because a) the light is much more beautiful and b) you avoid a good amount of tourist groups – both just add significantly to the overall experience.
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